Check-row cotton-planter.



W. G. JOHNSON.

CHECK ROW COTTON PLANTER. APPLICATION FILED AUG.13, 1913.

Patented June 30, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. G. JOHNSON.

CHECK ROW COTTON PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1913.

1,101,801, Patw ed June 30,1914.

2 SHBBTSSHEET 2.

UNITED s'ra'rss PATENT OFFICE.

-WILLIAM G. JOHNSON, or KiNerrsHnR, OKLAHOMA.

CHECK-ROW COTTON-PLANTER.

This invention relates to cotton planters,

and has specialreference to the means for dropping the cotton seed tothe ground, the primary object of the invention being to provide simpleand efficient means whereby the seed will be dropped at regularintervals.

A further object of the invention is to provide a seed droppingmechanismv which will be so located that it will ofier no obstruction tothe flow of the seed through the seed. tube and will be so constructedthat it will be normally closed and will quickly return to the closedposition after being operated.

Other incidental ob'ects of the invention will appear as the descriptionof the sameproceeds.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings andconsists in certain novel features which will be hereinafter first fullydescribed andfthen more particularly pointed out in thecappended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of a planter having myimprovements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe seed dropping mechanism with parts broken away and parts in section;Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2.

The planter frame 1 may be of the usual construction and is equippedwith runners or shoes 2 at its front end. Hoppers 3 are 1 mounted uponthe frame and seed tubes 4 depend from the hoppers to the lower rearends of the shoes so as to convey the seed from the hoppers to theground, as will be readily understood. Upon the frame -1 is journaled arock shaft 5 equipped with forked or bifurcated lever arms 6 at its endsand through the forks of the said lever arms check wires 7 pass, the.said check wires being stretched across the field in theusual manner andbeingequipped with strikers or knots 8 of any well-known or preferredcon;

struction. The rock shaft 5 is arranged in rear of the hoppers 3 and isequipped with the finger or Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J11113 30, 1914, Application filed August 13, 1913. Serial No. 784,553. 4

rearwardly extending arms 9 to which are swiveled the upper ends ofplungers 10 which depend from the said arms in rear of the seed tubesand have their lower ends tapered, as indicated in Fig. 2. In the sidesof the seed tubes 1, near the lower ends thereof, are formed slots 11,and upon the outer faces of the sides of the seed tubes in alinementwith the said slots are journaled rock shafts 12 to'which are secured,by brazing or otherwise, dropper valves 13 which extend obliquelydownward from the rock shafts within the seed tubes, as shown. Toprevent the access of dirt or other foreign matter to the seed tube, Isecure hoods 1a to the outer sides of the said tubes, which hoods extendover the rock shafts and the valves, extend through the rear walls 15 ofthe seed tubes and the valves should be of such length that their endswill'fit closely to the front as clearly shown. The rock shafts I andrear walls of the tubes-so that the flow of seed around the ends of thevalves will be prevented. Upon the rearwardly projecting portions ofthesaid rock shafts and in the vertical plane of the plungers 10, I securetappets 16 which will be actuated by the plunger when the'same descendsso that the valves will be opened and the seed per mitted to drop.

A supplemental casing 17 is provided around the rearwardly projecting ofthe rock shafts 12' and this casing 17 incloses the tappets 16 and thelowerend of the plunger 10, as shown. Immediately adj acent the rearwall of this supplemental casing 17 the rock shafts are equipped withlifters or fingers 18 and a coiled spring 19 is secured to the saidcasing above the said fingers or lifters and is also connected to thesaid lifters so as to normally hold the same in a raised position.

It will be understood, of course, that a single rock shaft and a singlevalve may be employed in each seed tube, the valve being of sufiicientwidth to extend entirely across the tube. I prefer, however, to employnarrower valves and arrange two valvesin each seed tube, so that thelower edges of the valves will meet in the central vertical longitudinalplane of the seed tubes, as illustrated. When a single valve isemployed, the spring 19 will, of course, beattached to lifter of therock shaft carrying the valve, but when two valves are employed, asshown, the lifter finger on one portions I rock shaft will overlap thefinger on the other rock shaft so that the spring will normally hold thesaid fingers in the raised position, while, at the same time, permittingthem to rockdownwardly without becoming entirely disengaged.

It is thought the operation of the device will be readily understoodfrom the fore going description, taken in-connection with theaccompanying drawings. The seed is placed in the hoppers 3 and will flowthrough the seed tubes to the dropper valves 13 and will be held andsupported by the said valves. As the planter is drawn over the field thelever arms (3 will be drawn against the successive strikers 8 on thecheck wires and will be thereby rocked rearwardly so that the rock shaft5 will be turned and the arms 9 on the said shaft swung downwardly so asto depress the plungers 10. The downward movement of the plungers 10will carry the lower ends thereof against and between the tappets 16, sothat the said tappets will be swung downwardly and outwardly toward thesides of the casing and the dropper rock shafts 12, thereby vibrated. Asthe said shafts 12 are vibrated, the dropper valves will, of course, beopened and the seed for one hill permitted to escape. As soon as thestriker clears the lever arm 6, the spring 19 will retract and returnthe parts to the normal position.

It will be readily noted that all the parts of my dropping mechanism areinclosed so that they are not liable to be broken or renderedinoperative and the device will operate with precision and speed. Themechanism is composed of very few parts which are simple in theirconstruction and compactly arranged so that the weight of the planterwill not be materially increased and the cost of manufacture andmaintenance will be kept at an economical basis.

IVhat I claim is 1. In a planter, the combination with a planter frameof a stationary seed tube secured to and depending from the frame, a vib'atory valve mounted within the seed tube, and means mounted upon theplanter frame adjacent the seed tube for actuating said valve.

2. In a planter, the combination with a planter frame, and a stationaryseed tube secured thereto and depending therefrom, of a dropper valvedisposed within the seed tube, a plunger mounted adjacent the seed tube,means for reciprocating the said plunger, and means whereby thereciprocation of the plunger will vibrate the valve.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe In a planter, the combination with a planter frame, and a stationaryseed tube depending therefrom, of a vibratory valve mounted upon andcarried by the side of the seed tube and extending across the interiorof the same, a plunger disposed adjacent and external to the seed tube,means actuated by the plunger to open the valve, and means acting on thevalve inopposition to the plunger to hold the valve normally closed.

4. In a planter, the combination with a seed tube, of a rock shaftmounted upon the side of the seed tube, a dropper valve carried by therock shaft and extending within the tube, a plunger acting upon the rockshaft to depress the valve, means for operating the plunger, and meansacting on the rock shaft in opposition to the plunger to hold the valvenormally raised- 5. In a planter, the combination with a seed tube, of arock shaft mounted upon the side of the seed tube, a dropper valve fixedupon said shaft and extending across the interior of the tube, a tappetupon the said shaft, a plunger acting upon said tappet to lower thevalve, means for operating the plunger, and means acting upon the rockshaft to hold the valve normally raised.

(3. In a planter, the combination with a seed tube, of a rock shaftmounted upon the side of the seed tube, a valve fixed upon the rockshaft and extending across the interior of the seed tube, a tappet uponthe rock shaft, a plunger acting upon said tappet to vibrate the rockshaft and lower the valve, means for actuating the plunger, a liftersecured to the rock shaft, and means acting on the said lifter to holdthe valve normally raised.

7. In a planter, the combination with a seed tube, of rock shaftsjournaled upon the sides of the seed tube, dropper valves fixed to thesaid rock shafts and converging down wardly within the seedtubes,tappets secured upon the rock shafts and having their inner endsarranged in juxtaposition and below the rock shafts, a plunger havingits lower end disposed between said tappets, means for depressing saidplunger, lifters secured to the rock shafts and having their inner endsoverlapping, and a spring acting upon the under lifter to hold thevalves normally together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. LONG.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

